Eleven people, including a Texas nightclub magnate and two former Dallas police officers, were indicted this week in a money laundering scheme involving cocaine distribution.

Author:
WFAA

Published:
9:06 AM CST December 7, 2017

Updated:
9:43 AM CST December 7, 2017

DALLAS -- Eleven people, including a Texas night club magnate and two former Dallas police officers, were indicted this week in a money laundering scheme involving cocaine distribution at several night clubs in North Texas.

According to a release sent by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, the following were indicted:

Alfredo Navarro Hinojosa, 57

Miguel Casas, 47

Martin Salvador Rodriguez, aka “Chava,” 55

Humberto Baltazar Novoa, 39

Eddie Villarreal, 48

Craig Woods, 60

Eloy Alvarado Montantes, aka “Don Loy,” 36

Jose Omar Santoyo Salas, aka “Omar Salas,” 32

Erick Johan Lopez Cuellar, aka “Erick Lopez,” 30

Raul Nunez, aka “Junior,” 25

Cesar Mendez, 27

A superseding indictment was made in the case for eight of the defendants charged with felony drug offenses. Four have pleaded guilty, three are still on the run, and one is waiting for trial to begin, the release said.

That indictment states that between 2014 and 2016, Hinojosa owned more than 40 nightclubs, including Far West, OK Corral, and Medusa. He also owned OK Corral in Fort Worth.

His clubs and businesses brought in about $107 million in revenue, documents show. While the establishments handled a lot of cash, Hinojosa used it to hide "the true nature of certain cash deposits" and joined Novoa in business transactions with bands traveling between the U.S. and Mexico.

"These transactions included attempts to launder money for at least one band or for entities that were using the band," the indictment reads.

Hinojosa and two of his club managers, Cases and Rodriguez, allowed cocaine to be sold to patrons, with some dealers selling 100 to 200 baggies each weekend. The three men have 19 counts against them for "managing a drug premises," documents reveal.

Two of the men indicted, Villarreal and Woods, are former officers with the Dallas Police Department. While on the force, the men worked as "security consultants or guards" for Hinojosa, using their positions "improperly," the indictment shows.

Novoa has been charged with conspiracy to structure transactions to evade reporting requirements and making a false statement on an immigration document.

Montantes, Salas, Cuellar, Nunez, and Mendez were all indicted on charges connecting them to drug distribution.

"The superseding indictment includes references to recordings taken in Hinojosa’s headquarters, in which he discusses laundering funds and cleaning money," documents say.

According to the indictment, Hinojosa was heard saying, "We can't really clean it [up -- the cocaine sales] because then we lose business... man, they got to do business, I told them we don't care... we just don't want for everybody to see him."

Documents show that Hinojosa has agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy to manage a drug premises and conspiracy to structure transactions to evade reporting requirements.

His agreement requires him to pay $200,000 and forfeit his Ferrari F355, Land Rover Ranger Rover, Hummer H2, Mercedez-Benz, and a Gillig Motorhome.

Villarreal and Woods will plead guilty to one count of making a false statement to the FBI.